MOSCOW—Grayling is partnering with the Swiss Business Hub Russia, an official entity of the Swiss Embassy in Russia and representative of Switzerland Global Enterprise, the international trade and investment promotion organisation of the Swiss federal government. Grayling will support the Swiss Business Hub Russia with integrated communications strategy development, media relations, and digital engagement.

LONDON—Weber Shandwick has appointed Indy Selvarajah as creative director, based in London and responsible for creative output in the UK and EMEA offices. Selvarajah joins from ad agency Brothers & Sisters where she worked on the award-winning Thierry Henry “Time Traveller” Sky Sports ad.

MOSCOW—Buman Media has been retained Essilor, French manufacturer of highly technological lenses for glasses. The firm will handle digital communications, including the development of pages on Facebook, VK.com, OK.ru, and Instagram. It will also organize special projects with bloggers, and manage contests and advertising campaigns. In addition, Buman has become the official press office of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

LONDON—epifny consulting, a London-based strategy and communications consultancy, has officially launched Create, a new “rapid, agile” consultancy methodology designed to make digital transformation accessible to all organisations. The Create offer includes Create for Local Government, tailored for public sector organisations; Create for Agencies, designed to help agencies take advantage of data analytics and modern creative techniques; and Create for C-Suite, designed for the first 90 days of new CEOs and CMOs.

YAOUNDÉ—Cyclone, a communications consultancy agency based in Cameroon with additional offices in Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, and soon the Democratic Republic of Congo, has become a partner of PROI Worldwide. The agency’s areas of operation include media relations, marketing and strategic counsel in the technology and B2B, retail, and environmental sectors

LONDON—Bedroom furniture retailer Feather & Black has appointed Porta agencies Thirteen Communications and Publicasity to handle consumer, trade and corporate PR. Publicasity will handle the consumer media and home interest press, with Thirteen tasked with telling the corporate and trade story of the brand.

LONDON—Brands2Life has appointed Alan Parker as managing director, digital. He previously worked at advertising agency MullenLowe, first as managing director, digital and, latterly, as deputy managing director. Prior to this he spent four years at Golin and has experience with Ogilvy Group and Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

FALKIRK—Communications group Beattie is launching a vlogger “dating forum” and set up a video and content studio in Scotland. The studio will be up and running by the end of the year and it will coincide with the launch of a dating forum to match vloggers and bloggers with corporate brands. The studio will be set up in Beattie’s Media Village in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, where Beattie has just completed a 100-seat conference centre and a dedicated training academy.

LONDON—Pensions specialist Profile Financial has appointed Headland to launch its refreshed customer proposition. Headland's brief is to raise brand awareness among the millions of people in the UK who currently do not receive advice about their pensions or retirement planning.

LONDON—SO What Global, a health, wellbeing and lifestyle PR specialist, has hired Nicola Lilley and Laura McKinlay. Lilley arrives from Ketchum as senior account manager. McKinlay joins as account manager following two years at Hill+Knowlton Strategies.